Can you eat pho on keto?
In this brief article, we will address the question “ can you eat pho on keto?”. We will also discuss what pho is, what ingredients in pho contain carbs or sugars, what is the nutritional profile of pho without the noodles on keto.
Can you eat pho on keto?
Yes, you can eat pho on keto. This is however not that simple as the traditionally prepared pho contains ingredients that are high in carbs and not keto-friendly. One can only eat pho on keto if certain measures are put in place to eliminate high carbs ingredients and replace them with those that contain less.
What is pho?
Pho is Vietnamese for soup or broth. The word is derived from the Chinese word which means to boil something down until concentrated. In Vietnam, pho is prepared in two ways namely beef noodle pho and rice vermicelli pho.
The main ingredients in traditional pho are beef stock, white onion, ginger, cinnamon, star anise, coriander seeds, cloves, sirloin, steak, palm sugar, fish sauce, soy sauce, rice noodles, scallions, red chilli, thai basil and lime.
Which ingredients in pho contain carbs or sugar?
The traditional pho contains carbs due to the presence of some ingredients used in making the dish. The most important source of carbs in pho is rice noodles.
- Rice noodles contain high carbs around 25 grams of carbs per 100 grams which is not keto-friendly.
- However, the traditional pho broth is perfect for keto as it does not contain the sugars (palm sugar), however, more modern recipes of pho from shops and restaurants are made with rock sugar which adds hidden carbs.
- Also, soy sauce as one of the ingredients of pho is low in carbs, however, some argue that the ‘quality of the product is low as it can contain by-products of wheat and gluten which are not keto fit.
What is the nutritional profile of pho without the noodles on keto?
The goal of a keto diet is to keep your most abundant nutrients as 70% fat, 25% protein, and 5% Carbohydrates which should not exceed 20 grams per day for a traditional keto diet.
Pho without the noodles is low in carbs and also low in fat, signifying that it will be ok for a keto diet, but not necessarily perfect for a keto diet due to being low in fat.
What food ingredients can be used to make a pho keto at home?
A pho keto is a clean and perfect keto that is high in fats and low in carbs. It is possible to make pho keto and enjoy it on your keto diet. If you want to make keto pho at home it can be easily made. You can eliminate the high carbs ingredients of the traditional keto and replace them with keto friendly ingredients.
To make a pho keto at home these ingredients can be used and they include sirloin steak, zucchinis, cinnamon stick, star anise, whole cloves, beef broth, fresh ginger sliced, soy sauce or coconut aminos for a clean keto version, fish sauce, bean sprouts, fresh cilantro, fresh basil, finely slices Jalapeno, a lime wedge for serving, and an optional sriracha sauce.
How to make pho keto at home?
Once your ingredients are carefully selected to suit the ketogenic diet, the following steps can be applied to prepare the pho keto.
- To begin, place the steak in the freezer for 15 minutes to harden slightly which makes it easier to slice thinly.
- Make your zucchini noodles using a spiralizer and split them between two bowls.
- In a saucepan, toast cinnamon sticks, star anise, and cloves on low heat until they become fragrant.
- Add the bone broth to the pan and stir.
- Afterwards, add the ginger, soy sauce or coconut aminos and fish sauce, bring to a boil, and simmer for 10 minutes to allow the spices to fully infuse the broth.
- Slice the beef into thin strips.
- In another pan, flash fry the beef for 30 seconds on either side to seal in the flavour.
- Divide the beef into two portions and add to the zucchini.
- Then, pour the broth into the serving bowls, over the meat and noodles for the beef to cook completely.
- Finally, top the pho with bean sprouts, fresh herbs, and sliced scallions, drizzle with sriracha to taste and squeeze the lime on top.
What are some best noodles for homemade keto pho?
Depending on what you like, the traditional rice noodles in pho can be substituted to make it keto pho.
- Some best substitutes include spiralizing courgette to be used in the keto pho recipe.
- Keto pho is also amazing with Shirataki noodles also called Konjac noodles which are made from glucomannan. Shirataki noodles are quick in the recipe as no cooking is required but the heat from the broth is enough to cook them.
Conclusion
In this brief article, we have addressed the question “ can you eat pho on keto?”. We have also discussed what pho is, what ingredients in pho contain carbs or sugars, what is the nutritional profile of pho without the noodles on keto.
